A Sufi Tale of Real friendship

When my clients go through life changes they often re -evaluate their most intimate and personal relationships. Some of them end up realizing who their real friends are. I also often think about friendship and reflect on who I consider my real friends. I read this story for my children last night and I hope you find it as beautiful as I did! For more beautiful stories read Sufi Tales by Debra Kaatz. Enjoy!

Mouse and Frog were best friends and met each day by the riverside. “Hello, my friend” croaked the Frog. “Hello, hello, hello” –squeaked the Mouse. They walked about everything, they shared their dreams and ideas, they laughed and cried together. The mouse often thinks of his friend and wondered about him. He smiled to himself as he watched the river flow past the trees. “Frog is a wonderful friend. I can tell him anything and he listens with the whole of his heart. It is as though we were made for each other. We are like a right and left glove!.

They met in a few hours’ time again, after the Mouse gathered seeds, found some snails in the field and the Frog gathered some walnuts from the ground. Oh, Frog- said the Mouse- sometimes when you are away on the river I long to be with you. “Yes, sometimes I think of your cosy little burrow and I long to be there with you. But you know we have different lives, yours on the land and mine in the river”.

“I know, yes, I know”- But what if we tied a string between us so that we always knew we were together?”

“Yes,- said the Frog excitedly. We would pull on it and we would know we are thinking of each other!”

They did exactly that. They would pull the strong every now and then, they would think of each other and they would have some treats for each other. They got excited when they knew they would see each other shared what happened to them on the day.

One day, as the Mouse was gathering seeds in the field, a shadow of an eagle passed. Before Mouse could pull the string, the eagle had him in his claws and was soaring away. Suddenly the Frog felt a jerk too and was pulled out of the water. He did not know what was going on with him as they passed over the rives and finally the eagle dropped them both into the river.

The Frog quickly realized that he is at home in the river and pulled the string. There was no answer. He tried several times but there was no answer. “He is dead!”- he thought and started crying, resting his head on his friend’s heart. “Oh, what will I do without him? He was my friend and now I have lost him!”

As he was crying he heard a ta-thump! It was Mouse’s heart! He was still alive and Frog saw the Mouse slowly opening his eyes. They embraced each other with joy! When the Mouse asked what happened and the Frog explained, the Mouse said: I think we no longer need the string.

I agree- said the Frog- because our hearts are tied together by the invisible strings of Love.

“We must do something to celebrate”- said the Mouse.

“Yes, we will put our hands together and thank God for saving us. Thank the Great One who lives everywhere for saving us from the large mouth of danger”